Portland, Oregon, must put something in the drinking water that turns young-adult, coffee-drinking artists, into full-fledged musicians. The Thermals just happen to be one of these glorious bands, (see Stephen Malkmus, Elliott Smith-although he grew up in Texas, but regardless!..the list goes on.) From The Blood, The Body, The Machine to Now We Can See, The Thermals just have a great way of making songs that one would envision playing in the background of a riot against ex-boyfriends and girlfriends alike. Their new release, Personal Life, is an album pretty much dedicated to relationship slander. Hutch Harris’ vocals are powerful and the lyrics are in your face; “There’s nothing you can do if I don’t believe you…” This song, “I Don’t Believe You,” is one of the catchier, stuck-in-your-head-all-day, songs off Personal Life. I must warn you, though, if you are expecting the traditional punk-inspired Thermals album, you are sadly mistaken. Where is the Lo-Fi sound I’ve been hankering for? It’s almost as if they recorded the album at their regular speed, and then slowed it all down a whole bunch, recorded it with real equipment and said BAM! Give it chance; it may take you a little while to fully adapt to this new mellower vibe.
FCC: CLEAN
PLAY: 2, 5, 9
RIYD: Ted Leo, The Weakerthans